CRESTON, IOWA (December 2, 2013) – The Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Advisory Council’s Southwest Regional Hub housed at Southwestern Community College in Creston has announced the placement of the region’s new STEM manager, Deb Frazee.

Frazee comes to the STEM Advisory Council after years of valuable work in education and economic development, including 13 years with Iowa Western Community College as a job training specialist, five years with the Iowa Department of Education as a rehabilitation counselor and a wealth of further experience in the private sector.

Frazee is replacing Beth Kulow, who now serves as Southwestern Community College’s dean of student services. Kulow will continue to serve the STEM Advisory Council as the STEM hub’s institutional contact.

“I am happy to hand off this important baton to Deb Frazee. She has experience that will benefit the business and education sectors, and will continue to forward the impact of STEM in southwest Iowa,” said Kulow. “I look forward to seeing all that Deb accomplishes in her new role at Southwestern Community College. The southwest region is in very capable hands.”

Frazee has already begun her duties and will continue to make connections across her region. Frazee is responsible for connecting educators in the southwest region to Scale-Up programming options in the coming year. She will also lead STEM activities on behalf of the STEM Council in southwest Iowa.

“Serving the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council as the southwest regional manager is a privilege that I am happy to take on,” said Frazee. “My passion for connecting Iowan’s to the workforce and driving STEM education into that pipeline, is something I feel I can greatly represent. Southwest Iowa’s educators, students, parents and businesses have a wonderful STEM story to tell, and I am determined to tell them all.”

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About the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory CouncilEstablished in 2011 via Governor’s Executive Order, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is a public-private partnership of educators, companies, and Iowa students and families addressing policies and programs designed to improve Iowa’s educational system focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Council works to engage and prepare students for a career-ready workforce path, regain our State’s historic leadership position in education, and provide a vital competitive economic advantage now, and for the future, to ensure that every Iowa student has access to world-class STEM education opportunities. The 46-member Council is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds and Vermeer CEO Mary Andringa. For more information, visit www.IowaSTEM.gov.